We're into the heavy hitters now—this is one of the few jazz albums I picked up prior to this experiment, based on its universal praise. What is there for me to say that hasn't already been said? It's Kind of Blue—if any album is jazz, it's this one.

From what I've been able to gather online, Kind of Blue is notable for pioneering modal jazz (in response to hard bop). My limited understanding is that in hard bop, melodies were largely driven by quick chord progressions: soloists displayed their incredible virtuosity by continually adapting to the rapidly shifting tonal centre dictated by the chord changes. In contrast, modal jazz uses very few, slow-moving chords—giving soloists more latitude to develop their melodies without being constrained by the strictures of the chord progression. (As for what exactly musical "modes" are and what their significance is, I still don't have a clear understanding.)

I'm sure I'll be listening to and learning from this one for many years to come, along with the rest of the world.

Favourite track: So What